the coen brothers are WEIRD

So, I continued my Coen Brothers theme last night, and watched Barton Fink. I was expecting something slightly oddball, because both Miller's Crossing and Blood Simple were not exactly "normal" movies. But, wow.... Barton Fink was really out there.
It's a movie about a writer who is hired to write a screenplay for a Hollywood firm. He doesn't initially want to, because he sees himself as an advocate for the "common man". But he eventually accepts, and is shipped off to California, where he checks in to the worst hotel on earth (which is almost certainly a metaphor for Hell). The employees are slimy or really old. The room is small (how barton even sleeps at night is a big question). The walls are slimy, and wallpaper constantly peels off due to the humidity.
A lot of the action deals with Barton’s next door neighbor, Charlie, who seems to epitomize the common man, but who I though might also be connected with the devil (he walks through flames at one point). Charlie and Barton become friends, as Barton tries to overcome a bad case of writer’s block, which is keeping him from writing his movie.
The major twist in the movie comes when Barton meets Aubrey, a famous author’s secretary. He somehow manages to get her to spend the night, only to wake up the next morning with her dead at his side. Barton is terrified but doesn’t call the police. Charlie helps him clean up the mess, and gives him a package, before disappearing.
In the end, it turns out that Charlie is a serial killer, and apparently a little super-natural. He bursts into the hotel in a wave of flames and shoots two policemen. It is a highly disturbing scene. Barton is spared, and his writer’s block broken. (It would seem by the mysterious package Charlie gave him).
In the end no one appreciates Barton’s writing, the company he works for “owns his writing soul” and he appears to be stuck in limbo or purgatory. He ends up sitting on the beach, with his package. I was seriously dreading seeing what was in the box (in the words of se7en “What’s in the box?!!!!!”). But, Barton never opens the box…. So I was left wondering what actually was left in the box.
All in all it was a very strange and creepy movie, but I enjoyed it more than Blood Simple. Still, I might have to watch it a few more times to totally understand what was going on.

This Holiday is no Picnic

In another Hughes and Candy pairing, this time about family vacations, we see Chet Ripley (Candy) take his family on a vacation to a sleepy lake town. Chet feels that by taking his two teenage boys, Buck and Ben, and wife Connie out into nature they will be able to have one last great family vacation.

Little does Chet know that just as they are beginning to enjoy their lake house, and the quiet his brother-in-law Roman (Dan Aykroyd) is on his way to crash the party. Roman is the polar opposite of Chet; fast talking, big business, slick back hair, fancy cars, and he doesn't really have a relationship with his two girls. Although Roman is constantly trying to one-up Chet and win over Buck and Ben with fancy speed boats the audience learns that the reason he crashed the Ripley's vacation is because he wouldn't have been able to afford his own.

Other than the constant battle between Chet and Roman, who are both played by extremely funny actors, there are other small storylines that occur around them. Chet's oldest son falls in love for the first time, Roman's girls get trapped in an abandoned mine, Roman's financial troubles surface etc. Some of it seems to be just thrown in, and its not really cohesive with the major plot.

As I re-watched this movie it made me sad, as John Candy was one of my favorites growing up he seemed to have to work a lot harder in this film to get the jokes out. Although this movie came out five years before he died, you can see some of the early stages of how his lifestyle would effect his work. It also was very similar to another Candy movie "Summer Rental" that came out two years before this.

Overboard

In "Overboard" Goldie Hawn plays a spoiled, rich woman Joanna who is "trapped" in Elk Cove, Oregon for a few days while her yacht refuels and gets some engine problem fixed. She decides since she is bored she is going to hire a local carpenter Dean (Kurt Russell) to improve the shoe space in her closet. After a few days Dean is finished and Joanna decides she's not going to pay for his work since it was not done to her specifications. She throws Dean and his tools overboard.

Later that night, after the Imaculatta has set sail from "Elk Snout" Joanna pesters her husband Grant to go get her wedding ring from the upper deck where she left it. He's too busy watching "Top 10 most fabulous Yachts" and her butler Andrew is out of earshot, so she goes herself. While on the deck, the captain who has fallen asleep at the helm makes a sharp turn, and Joanna falls overboard.



The next day while at the bowling alley Dean sees a news report about a woman who was found at sea by the trash barge, and appears to be suffering from amnesia. In order to pay her back for screwing him out of three days pay Dean devises a plan to pick her up, and pose as her husband. He names her Annie, and brings her home to meet her four rowdy boys. Dean has an extensive list of chores and yard work that "Annie" typically does, and Joanna doesn't take to it as he plans. Over a few weeks, she begins to get into a routine, parent and discipline the boys, and even begins to fall for Dean. All the while her husband has never reported her missing and is gallivanting on the yacht with random women.

Eventually Grant comes back to get her, as Joanna begins to put the pieces together she remembers her own life and leaves with Grant. Back on the yacht she is lonely, and realizes that she was actually happy in Elk Cove. She turns the boat around and convention's runs into her 'family' on a coast guard cruiser on their way to get her.

The story is rather predictable, and similar to the "Prince and the Pauper" or "Trading Spaces" types of plots. The message of family vs. money is lost as well since we find out that the yacht, and all the money is actually Joanna's and not Grant's. I would recommend it because you really can't go wrong with Goldie Hawn, and Kurt Russell actually holds his own in this film as well.

Homemade Prom Dress Anyone?

Pretty in Pink is a classic teen 80's film starring Molly Ringwald in one of her teen roles remarkably similar to her other films in the decade. She plays Andy, a girl "from the other side of the tracks." She is creative and has a great personality, she even makes her own clothes. She is also very intelligent, we learn that she is on scholarship at her very expensive highschool, surrounded by "richies." Well it just so happens that one falls in love with her, but it is soon evident that he does not have the guts to date a girl out of his social circle. Andy also has a very loyal frien, Duckie, who she does not realize is in love with her. The film shows that nice guys finish last when Andy, who was ditched by her rich boyfriend at school one day for prom, forgives him at the dance and in turn ditches Duckie, who saved the day when he showed up as her date to prom.
This movie succeeded in making me very angry, the message in the end was a mixed one. I do not think that we are really supposed to be completely happy about what happened, but then, everything suggests that we are supposed to be excited for Andy. All I could think about was poor Duckie, in love with Andy and she not realizing who was obviously the better man, even if the other guy did apologize.
I guess I would still recommend the film. If you are familiar with Molly Ringwald films (she was in almost all of those teen ones in the 80s) this one might be kind of boring, even if her character in Pretty in Pink is remarkably different in writing from Claire in the Breakfast Club, she always brings the same acting to the table, a somewhat emotional, pouty teenage girl, with cute short red hair.

BeetleJuice BeetleJuice Beetlejuice!

This film screams Tim Burton! Strange, bizarre, Weird, dark, humorous, you name it. The film is about a husband and wife, Adam and Barbara, who are played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis. The couple lives in this big, bizarre, house in the country. One day, while driving home from town, Barbara and Adam get into a terrible accident...An accident that costs them their lives. The couple soon learns that when you die, you don't exactly die. The two are trapped together inside their house for the rest of time and must learn how to deal with the afterlife. The only problem is, they have some unexpected guests move into their house. People who are very different from their selves and decide to change the entire house around. Can Barbara and Adam live with the Deetzes or do they need outside help? That is where Beetlejuice comes along. He is the "ghost with the most" who claims he can rid the couple of these obnoxious city folk, but little do they know he is also the biggest trouble maker in the afterlife and seeking his help only causes trouble...trouble...Trouble.




I loved this film. I found it to be extemely creative, witty and hilarious. Tim Burton's vision of the afterlife is dark and humorous. His characters in the famous scene in the waiting room are all very colorful and unique. The film is a fun experience cause you never know what crazy character you are going to meet next.

The settings for the film are incredible. It almost reminds me of a living nightmare before Christmas, which makes sense since it is the same director. You are transported into a strange land, and it makes you wonder how does Mr. Burton come up with this stuff.



Winona Ryder makes her film debut in this film as Lydia Deets. I love her character. She is an outsider. She wears dark clothing and makes very dark comments, but she becomes friends with the Adam and Barabara. Even though the couple are dead, they manage to help Lydia liven up a bit and make her a happier and a more whole person.

The character of Beetlejuice, played by Michael Keaton, is a vile, disgusting, slimy ghost. If his appearance doesn't show the audience this, his personality certainly does. Michael Keaton does a great job and the movie would not be complete without this outrageous character.

I really recommend this film. It is a lot of fun!

when the moon hits your eye...

When I first started watching Moonstruck, starring Cher and Nicolas Cage, I figured that it would just be your typical romantic comedy. Not a bad thing, but not exactly exciting either. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The film is a romantic comedy, but it is also much more than the typical, lightweight chick-flick variety.

Moonstruck takes place in the Italian-American community in New York City, and is about Loretta Castorini (Cher), a woman in her mid-thirties who has decided to marry Johnny Cammareri
for practical reasons, not for love. However, when Johnny flies to Italy to visit his sick mother, Loretta meets estranged younger brother Ronny (Cage) and the sparks fly.

One thing which definitely raised this film above average was Cher's performance, which she deservedly won an Oscar for. She makes Loretta into a no-nonsense, down-to-earth woman but still with some softness underneath. Cher's New York accent is also perfect. Loretta is also not the typical romantic comedy heroine. She bosses men around and is pretty frumpy in the beginning of the film. Although she does undergo the typical Cinderella transformation, she still keeps her no-nonsense manner. Also, Ronny loved her even before she transformed. Ronny is pretty much the typical female romantic fantasy: he's dark, tortured, and brooding, but has a sensitive side - he enjoys opera. However, Loretta's no-nonsense manner helps alleviate this stereotype, and the film sometimes acknowledges that it is an extreme stereotype and so plays it for laughs.

Moonstruck also has other things going for it other than the main romance narrative. The film also follows Loretta's mother, who is trying to deal with the fact that her husband has been having an ongoing affair and who asks every man she meets "why do men chase women?" Another small, but enjoyable aspect is Loretta's grandfather, who is constantly walking his herd of dogs around. This also ties in with the moon theme, that the full moon makes people wild and romantic. This slightly fantastical aspect makes some of the more unbelievable parts of the film (like Loretta and Ronny's quick consummation) more credible. Finally, the film is a great portrayal of Italian-American culture, although the constant Italian music did get grating after a while. It also shows the importance of family, even over romance, in this culture, as shown by the closing scenes.

Moonstruck is an enjoyable, uplifting film with a great performance by Cher. I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you need something to improve your mood. It's quick-paced and funny with great lines. For example, Loretta's mother tells her that she shouldn't marry a man she loves, because "when you love them they drive you crazy because they know they can," probably the definitive line of this witty film.

The Mission

The Mission (1986) is truly a masterpiece. Directed by Roland Joffé, the film takes place in the lush jungles of 18th-century South America, where a Jesuit priest named Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) founds a mission and works to convert the indigenous Guaraní. Under the protection of the Spanish empire and the Catholic Church, Father Gabriel attempts to shelter the Indians from Spanish and Portuguese slave hunters like Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert DeNiro).

When the territory is ceded to Portugal, the Jesuits are ordered to disband the mission. Father Gabriel, his fellow priests, and the Guaraní refuse to leave the place they have come to call home. Despite Father Gabriel’s insistence upon passive, nonviolent resistance, some take up arms against the Portuguese soldiers. The entire community is martyred, and the surviving Indian children return to the jungles.

Early in the film, Rodrigo Mendoza kills his own brother in a fit of rage. Paralyzed by guilt, he subjects himself to tortuous penance and, under the compassionate but stern guidance of Father Gabriel, finds a nobler calling as a priest. Faced with the mission's destruction, Rodrigo must decide whether or not break his vow and bear arms again.

Cardinal Altamirano (Ray McAnally), who effectively holds the fate of the Guaraní in his hands, loosely narrates the film. It is he who must advise the Pope whether or not to allow the Jesuit missions to continue. Altamirano cannot help but be impressed by Father Gabriel’s mission, where orderliness and the Indians’ passion for music are encouraged. At the same time, he feels the Portuguese empire’s pressure keenly.

The Mission’s combination of talented acting, skilled cinematography, incredible music, and the central theme of one’s character being put to the test create a poignant film that may very well bring the viewer to tears.

More information about The Mission:
• Won an Oscar in 1987 for Best Cinematography and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
• Received Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction/Set Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music/Original Score, Best Picture
• See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mission_%28film%29 for more info.

"When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping!"

Not only does Troop Beverly Hills combine a group of rich girls full of entitlement problems with the wilderness, it also showcases Tori Spelling at a ripe young pre-teen age.


As Phyllis Nefler, Shelley Long, a rich, recently divorced, thirty-something mother who spends the majority of her time shopping and indulging herself, decides to take on the job of troop leader to her daughter's recently abandoned wilderness troop. Her troop consists basically of mini- versions of Phyllis. They are spoiled, rich, and feel extremely entitled to just about everything that crosses their paths. Phyllis doesn't realize what she is exactly agreeing to by becoming the troop leader, but she soon finds out!

The girls have little to no experience in wilderness and troop activities. They have earned an embarassing amount of zero badges and aren't really interested in trying to figure out a way to earn more. Phyllis feels bad for the girls and their inability to earn patches through the traditional activities, so she schemes up a way for them to get their own patches. She decides they will make their own patches, a "Create Your Own" patch, which include jewelry appraisal, shopping, grooming, and many other non-wilderness themed patches. The patch ordeal is only the beginning for the socialite girl scouts and their pre-madonna troop leader, which they find out through a series of fabricated challenges by the opposing group leader, Velda Plendor, played by Betty Thomas. Velda runs her troop much like a military troop with intense camp outs in the deep wilderness, training similar to something an army would go through, and serious disciplinary rules and orders. Velda detests Phyllis, perhaps because Velda appears androgynous with her ill-fitting clothing, tightly bound hair, which is always up in her hat, and negative attitude, while Phyllis is perky, blond, and beautiful, with tailored clothing and an upbeat attitude. Velda believes the troop should be disbanded. Velda clearly needs to get a life. This is girl scouts, it is not world war two, her obsession with triumphing over the rich troop is bordering on pathetic if not downright depressing.

Through a series of mishaps and failures, the troop and Phyllis finally come out on top, showing Velda and the other people who doubted them that they aren't just materialistic socialites from Beverly Hills, they have depth. I am not sure how true that part is, but Phyllis does make a transformation into a more tender and loving mother and wife figure, reconciling with her husband and realizing there is more to life than shopping.

Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman might just be my favorite 80s movie, if not one of my favorite movies of all time. I don't know if it is Julia Robert's transformation from street-walking-prostitute to polo-game-attending classy lady, or if it is Vivian's "I'll show you" moment in the film when she confronts the shopgirls who wouldn't help her the day before in her prostitute garb, asking them, "Do you work on commission? Big Mistake. Huge. Huge. Mistake," whatever it is, Pretty Woman is a classic 80s film.



This entertaining, Cinderella story, revolves around the unconventional relationship between a hooker with a heart of gold and a shrewdly successful, but lonely, corporate raider. Vivian, played by Julia Roberts, undergoes a Cinderella-like transformation after she meets Richard Gere's character, Edward, who happens upon this too-attractive-to-really-be-a-streetwalker while lost on Sunset Blvd. Vivian gives Edward directions, but only on her terms, which of course include paying her. It is in this scene that we find there is much more than meets the eye in terms of Vivian. She can drive stick, a talent Edward is not so successful with, she knows a lot about cars since she grew up with brothers, she is playful and full of needless, albeit very interesting, knowledge, including the little tidbit of information that the length of your forearm is the size of your foot. That is something I did not know until I watched Pretty Woman, I am not going to lie. Anyway, she drives Edward to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, still dressed in her hooker attire, and it is presumed that their relationship will end after the drop off. However, Edward is intrigued by Vivian, not to mention lonely and in need of some company to join him in his penthouse suite on the top floor of the hotel, so he invites Vivian to join him for the night. With this invitation, the movie really starts to get going as the relationship between Edward and Vivian unfolds in a comedically romantic series of events and situations.



The film really focuses on the different sides of each of their personalities. It cuts back and forth between Edward's business persona where he is shown as a hard-nosed, ruthless corporate raider and the Edward seen with Vivian, which shows his softer, more sensitive side. This back-and-forth shifting sets the audience up for the challenge Vivian will face when she tries to fit into Edward's world. Edward is part of the upper class. He attends polo matches, has cocktail parties, stays in penthouse suites, spends ludicrous amounts of money, and dresses well. Vivian, on the other hand, does not spend her time doing ANY of those things. She has no idea about proper social etiquette and her attire is overtly revealing, if not completely inappropriate. The bulk of the film focuses on her metamorphosis from this foul-mouthed, unlady-like girl of the street to a mannered, well-dressed, woman suitable to be any respectable man's arm candy. Her attempts to fit into Edward's elite world are some of the most comedic moments in the film. She needs lessons on table manners, how to dress, etc. and by the end of the movie she has achieved her goal, however, there are a few moments when she slips up, for instance, when an escaragot slips out of her utensils at a fancy business dinner.




Despite the challenges Vivian faces with her relationship with Edward and her ultimate character transformation, she is able to come out on top. Things go a little off the comedic side at times, for instance, when Stuckey slaps her around after she rejects his advances because Edward has told him that she is a hooker and when people are mean to her at first because of the way she is dressed and what not, but things don't stay too bad for that long. He, of course, falls for Vivian because she turns out to be this vivacious, smart, funny woman that you would be stupid to pass up even though she has a shady past of being a prostitute. She finds herself falling for him as well because he takes care of her and sees her for more than just a hooker, even though he does pay for her services. Everyone forgives and forgets and Edward and Vivian ultimately end up changing each other. She has made the obvious transformation, but Edward undergoes one as well. He is no longer the work-obsessed, emotional flat line that he was at the beginning of the film, now he is ready to take on love in every way.

Of course, a major element that makes this film so fantastic is the phenomenal soundtrack. "It must have been Love" and "King of Wishful Thinking" are two songs from that movie that I probably played on repeat for, oh I don't know, ten years. The soundtrack and great 80s clothes only add to the excellence of this film.

Feeling screwed up at a screwed up time in a screwed up place does not necessarily make you screwed up.

Pump up the Volume
What seems on first glance to be just another movie on teen angst and rebellion turned out to be quite an insightful story of a teen trying to find his own identity. Christian Slater, somewhat reprising his role from “Heathers,” stars in this movie as a hard-hitting pirate radio station DJ, Mark - the propagator of all sorts of “teen problems.” He uses bad language, insults the school system, and basically prank calls school administrators to make fools of them on the air.
Once the movie gets going, however, you begin to realize that Mark is just trying to figure himself out, and deal the world he lives in. He can’t seem to find a point to anything, and calls himself part of the “why bother” generation. You can see his struggle to make sense of things through his broadcasts – though they start out crude (we first see him pretending to masturbate into the microphone), later discussions breach the subjects of teen suicide and the hypocrisies of the public school system (his dad is an administrator, so he is able to steal private files and see the corruption going on in the school – the principal, in order to improve the school’s test scores, got rid of under-performing “troublemaking losers”). The conversations don’t come across as staged, however. They are awkward, and heartbreaking at times as Mark tries to reconcile himself with the screwed up way the world works, and he doesn’t always give good advice. The main theme of the movie isn’t about preaching a certain way to live, or only encouraging people to better their lives, but instead encouraging people to “talk hard,” and not ignore the wrongs they see in their society just because it’s easier to go along and be accepted.

Favorite quote:
Mark Hunter: You hear about some kid who did something stupid, something desperate; what possessed him? How could he do such a terrible thing? Well, it's really quite simple, actually. Consider the life of a teenager - you have parents, teachers telling you what to do, you have movies, magazines and TV telling you what to do, but you know what you have to do. Your job, your purpose is to get accepted, get a cute girlfriend, think up something great to do with the rest of your life. What if you're confused and can't imagine a career? What if you're funny looking and can't get a girlfriend? You see, no-one wants to hear it. But the terrible secret is that being young is sometimes less fun than being dead.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100436/
http://infinitecoolness.com/galleries/volume/

"SUSAN! i thought you were dead!"... "No, just in New Jersey"

Ridiculously sick of all the high school teen drama movies that I have been subjecting myself to lately, I called my friend Joanna (the un-official, official movie critic and film aficionado of my friends) who suggested that I watch Desperately Seeking Susan, as she has been saying since we were, oh say, about 13. Why not? I thought to myself. And I’m glad I did.

The plots confusing enough to entice you to watch, yet easy enough to follow, with cases of mistaken identity on more than a couple different levels. Roberta is a New Jersey housewife played by Rosanna Arquette. She becomes obsessed with a woman named Susan who communicates with her boyfriend through the personal section of a New York City tabloid. Desperate for a little excitement in her life, Roberta follows Susan to a meeting in the park with her boyfriend, and then buys her jacket after Susan sells it at thrift store. In the jacket Susan (played by Madonna) has left the key to a locker of hers, and thus starts looking for Roberta. Meanwhile, Roberta is mistaken for Susan in the park because of the jacket and is confronted by a mob guy. The confrontation makes Roberta fall and get amnesia, and then she starts to live Susan’s life, all the while Susan has met Roberta’s husband and lives hers.

Seem complicated? It’s not too bad and all straightens itself out in the end, with everything in the right place, and everyone living their own life once again.

"i prefer cruelty... it has a nobler ring to it."

Dangerous Liaisons is an adaptation to a play that’s an adaptation to a book that was so scandalous that when it was first published and Queen Marie-Antoinette commissioned a copy for her personal library she had to have it bound in a blank cover so that no one would recognize the author's name or title. In Frears’ movie version of the book, you can definitely see why. The plot twists and turns as the two main characters, Merteuil and Valmont use both the other characters and each other to get revenge using sex and love. Throughout the movie, and we assume throughout her life, Merteuil messes with peoples lives and manipulates the other characters all while maintaining a spotless reputation. However, it all comes crashing down after Valmont reveals the truth of her cruel personality to the entire city by giving Danceny letters he had from Merteuil detailing her exploits before he dies after dueling with Danceny.

The film has an all star cast of Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, and Keanu Reeves, the last one being thrown in under the term “all star” simply because of the success of the Matrix Trilogy. (Let’s be honest. His acting is terrible, and this is no exception, especially for a period piece.) It was nominated for seven academy awards and won Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Art Direction, although many people were shocked that John Malkovich didn’t receive as much as a nod in his direction for his awesome portrayal of Valmont.

All in all, I liked the film, which is saying something coming from a girl who usually finds historical period pieces ridiculously boring. But then again, it may have something to do with the fact I’ll always have a weakness for anything related to Cruel Intentions in my cinematic heart.

Bloody Simple? no...terribly confusing

I sat down to watch one of the other Coen brothers movie's "Blood Simple", thinking it would be somehow similar to Miller's Crossing, which i enjoyed. It wasn't. I was pretty confused as to what was going on for the majority of the movie. It was bloody, gross and just weird. But, i guess the acting, and filmography were good, but i just didn't like the subject matter.
The movie starts with Abby and Ray sleeping together, despite the fact that Abby is married to Marty. A private detective hired by Marty gets pictures of the two in a cheap motel and gives them to Marty. This much makes sense, but from here on out the movie spirals out of control (sort of).
Marty and Ray have a mini-confrontation, and Ray quits/ is fired from his job (MArty is his boss). Abby moves into Ray's house, but not before finding and loading her pistol.
Then, Marty hires the detective, Loren Visser, to kill Ray and Abby. And the movie takes a serious twist. The viewer thinks that Loren kills the adulterous couple, but in fact he doctors photos of them to make it look like they have been shot. Marty pays Visser for completing the job, but then Visser shoots Marty, and leaves him to die. Throughout this scene, there are 4 dead fish sitting on the table which is a little unnecessary but makes the scene that much more unsavory.
Then, Ray shows up and attempts to clean up the mess created by the fact that Marty is not quite dead yet, and slowing dripping blood on to the floor (Ray thinks he's dead though). Thus begins the blood fest. Ray is a little on the stupid side, and begins to clean the blood up with his jacket. This scene is borderline ridiculous, as Ray hustles back and forth to the bathroom, trying to clean up the mess. Then he hoists the bloody Marty into his car and drives him out to the countryside. Something freaks Ray, and he jumps out of his car, looking terrified. When he gets back to the vehicle, Marty is gone. He walks to the other side of the car, and sees the dying man crawling on all fours, trying to escape. Then begins another highly uncomfortable scene. At first it appears that Ray is going to run Marty over, then he gets out a shovel, and it looks as if he will club him to death. But, in the end, Ray just buries him alive. (Ewwwwwwwww).
As Ray is trying to bury Marty, the dying man finds his wifes pistol (the one used to shoot Marty) in his pocket. It only has one bullet left. Marty tries to shoot Ray, but the chamber is empty.
After this Ray returns to Abby, and tries to talk to her about what just happened. He is slightly unstable by this point, and Abby is weirded out.
At the end of the movie, everything gets turned on its head. Visser now comes after Ray and Abby, leaving the viewer to wonder who really hired him and what his real motivation is at this point. He shoots Ray from an adjacent rooftop, and tries to shoot Abby, but she manages to temporarily escape. Then, there is a chase within the house, as Visser tries to find and kill Abby. She manages to shut his hand in a window, and stick a knife through it (lots more blood, yay). He break through a wall in order to free his hand, but by this point he has used all of his ammo. Abby has one bullet left in the gun that shot her husband. She manages to kill Visser, and the movie ends... .happily ever after? not so much....